~ Random thoughts on the Christian Life

Christmas

Isn’t this what we do at Christmas, just buy lots of stuff? We do this all year, but particularly at Christmas. Do we enjoy it? Sure, for a time, but then we don’t, it no longer gives us satisfaction, it loses it’s thrill, we get tired of it. It doesn’t matter if we are 5 year old boys or girls or 50 year old men(or Women), whatever we buy, or are given, we will tire of.

Mt 16:23 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul

Our souls cry out to God, to the living God, for life, for the living water, which will satisfy our souls.

John 4:13-14 “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

We can try to defend ourselves by making hollow promises, ‘well if the Lord asks me to give things up for him I will do so’, but as we found with the Rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-23, it’s easier to say we’ll do anything than it is to do it.

You won’t find many people willing to go along with A.W Pink. It’s far easier to go with the World, with the flow, with our friends and family, to spend large amount of money (and time), on gifts, on things that we know the Lord cares nothing for. The idea that we celebrate the birth of Jesus by spending money and exchanging gifts would abhor our Lord and King, there is nothing in the Bible that can convince me otherwise. Is spending large amounts of money on gifts a good use of our talents and resources ?Celebrating the Birth of Jesus is not a sin, but how we celebrate it may well be so.